HTC One X+ officially launched alongside HTC Sense 4+

Following a number of leaks and rumours, the HTC One X+has been officially unveiled. HTC has also revealed some extra information on the Android Jelly Bean update for existing HTC One X and One S owners.

The HTC One X+ is pretty much the device we predicted following leaks from O2. It’s essentially identical to the HTC One X from the outside, except for a sinister new black paint job.

Of course, we maintain that the HTC One X is arguably the best-looking Android phone on the market, so this is far from a bad move.

That 4.7-inch 720p Super LCD 2 screen is exactly the same, too. But again - the original remains one of the finest smartphone displays on the market, so why change it?

While we’re talking about what hasn’t change with the HTC One X+, we should mention that the 8-megapixel camera looks mighty familiar. At the risk of repeating ourselves, though, the original HTC One X held its own when it came to taking snaps - particularly with its f/2.0 lens and dedicated imaging processor.

So what has changed? The HTC One X’s 1.5GHz quad-core Tegra 3 processor has been bumped up to 1.7GHz, and the storage has doubled to 64GB. It now has a larger 2,100 mAh battery (up from 1,800 mAh), chiefly to keep that speedy Tegra 3 chip running in concert with 4G in the US.

Oh, and the front-facing camera has been upgraded to 1.6-megapixel (from 1.3MP).

That’s it on the hardware front. The other major change should also interest existing HTC One owners, because it relates to the long-awaited Jelly Bean update.

Yep, the HTC Ones X+ runs on the latest build of Android, and HTC has tinkered with its Sense UI to match. Sense 4+benefits from the speed improvements of Jelly Bean, and also offers you access to Google Now (Google’s new smart search tool) through a long-press of the Home button.

Elsewhere Sense 4+ tweaks the camera and media offering to be more intuitive. There’s a new self portrait mode, Tap and Go to get you connected to Beats Audio speakers, and a new video hub for all of your video content.

The One X+ has also been PlayStation Certified, which means you’ll be able to play a bunch of classic Sony games on it - though we’d expect this to come to the original One X too.

The HTC One X+ will be released in Europe some time in October, as will Jelly Bean and Sense 4+ for HTC One X and HTC One S owners. That’s this month!More Mobile Phone News >